


I'll call you when the party's over

by TheUnicornGirl



Series: Holiday Collaborations [1]
Category: RuPaul's Drag Race RPF
Genre: Christmas Fluff, F/F, and some dumb lesbians as well, background ninex and scyvie if you squint, holiday party mistletoe kiss turns into a wild goose chase, lots of fluff, working at a university
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-01
Updated: 2019-12-01
Packaged: 2021-02-25 22:02:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,239
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21623182
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheUnicornGirl/pseuds/TheUnicornGirl
Summary: “I met a girl, but I ain’t remember her name,” Vanessa replies, watching as Silky nearly hits A’keria the moment her arms start flailing in excitement.“What the hell you mean you don’t remember her name?” A’keria replies, letting out a disapproving hum as Silky begins scooting her chair across the office floor.“You remember what she look like?” Silky chimes in. Vanessa lets out a sigh as she shakes her head, bracing herself from another surprised shriek from Silky. Their boss would likely need to have a talk with them if they didn’t shut the hell up soon, but Vanessa can’t bring herself to care about that in the moment. “You don’t even remember what she look like? Bitch, the helldoyou remember?”Lesbian AU where Vanjie kisses Brooke under the mistletoe at a holiday party, but doesn't catch her name and sets off on a mission to find Brooke.
Relationships: Brooke Lynn Hytes/Vanessa Vanjie Mateo
Series: Holiday Collaborations [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1558447
Comments: 24
Kudos: 40





	I'll call you when the party's over

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! It's been a while, but I'm back with a collection of holiday oneshots! Each oneshot is written in collaboration with another wonderful writer, and I'm super excited to share them with you all. You can find all the details on the announcement post I made on my tumblr, @hy-jinkx.  
I had a lot of fun writing this fic with Pia, who is a literal angel, so I hope you all enjoy it!  
Shoutout to Meggie for being an incredible beta, and for helping Pia and me pull this fic together. We love you and are super grateful for your help!  
Title taken from "When The Party's Over" by Billie Eilish

Sickly sweet wine and pungent clove fill the air. Giggles and laughter bounce off the walls as nervous fingertips brush against each other. Two tipsy figures stand in the doorway, doe eyes glancing to the frame. Stars find their home in her gleaming eyes as she spots the mistletoe dangling above her head, causing her to feel a rush of excitement. Her lips twitch into a smirk before the beauty in front of her catches the little branch of Christmas-induced happiness. Lips interlock as the fireworks explode in her stomach, making her whole world spin. Yet one more turn and the scene is gone - replaced with a blaring alarm right next to her ear. 

A throbbing headache replaces the sweet scene in the brunette’s head, the magical night popping like a soap bubble pricked by a child’s fingernail. The desire to turn over and further hide beneath her large blanket gets interrupted by a glance at the clock on the nightstand beside her, telling her it’s time to leave her safe haven and get ready for another day at work. Bright red numbers blinding her eyes, forcing her to squint to even properly identify the time, reminding her that she shouldn’t have had that much to drink last night. With a slight grunt and furrowed brows, Vanessa finally crawls out of her bed and heads to the medicine cabinet first, popping two Advil. 

Feet drag a still half-asleep body to the adjacent bathroom, coming to a halt in front of the sink. A set of tired eyes stare at a drained figure. _ It’ll be a heavy makeup day then, I guess. _A stretch and yawn, followed by quickly hopping into the shower. Blow drying her hair, applying makeup, then carefully brushing her teeth. Not any less tired eyes stare at a slightly more human figure, a light slap to the left and then to the right cheek to stay awake and the brunette finally deems herself good enough to go. 

The walk to the train station is a journey in itself. Loud teenagers make their way to school as ice cold businessmen hurry down the streets. Vanessa nearly stumbles over a pigeon in her sleepwalking state, cursing loud enough for an elderly lady to comment on her “unacceptable use of language.” Adding to that, gum gets stuck to her heel and somehow in the hurry of it all, she had left her traincard at home - so evasion of fare it is.

Once the exhausted and now also slightly stressed woman collapses on an ever so lightly stained seat, she puts in her headphones and watches the snow stained landscape pass by. Her head dreamily hits the window as she closes her eyes, face hidden behind her oversized scarf - still smelling like wine, oranges and a pinch of ginger. A quiet piano melody enters her consciousness to blend out all of the hassle around her, praying for the advil to kick in soon. As her heartbeat calms down and her mind starts spinning a little less, she _ remembers _. Wavy blonde hair, piercing green eyes, red-stained lips and a cotton candy kiss. 

Goosebumps wander up her arms, her breath hitches in her throat as her chest gets warmer with every passing second. A rosey-pink paints her cheeks as memories of the past night play like a movie in her mind. Her own private Christmas romance. With one catch - the leading lady is played by a stranger.

The train comes to a halt abruptly, doe eyes flying open as she nearly hits her head on the seat in front of her. Her heart stopping just as sudden as the conductor hits the brake. The flowers that started to bloom in her chest get covered in frost. Her world frozen for a moment. She doesn’t know _ her _name.

Running through the streets filled with cyclists rushing to work may let the wind play with her hair, but it doesn’t get rid of the memory of the unbelievably stunning woman in her mind. A hungover mind all fogged up with the memories of the previous night. Her kiss still imprinted on her lips, her touch imprinted on her skin. Her being imprinted on her soul.

She prays her boss will forgive her as she rushes into her office, in a daze and way too late for work.

* * *

As Vanessa takes a seat at her desk, she’s immediately greeted by Silky asking where the hell she’s been. It’s not the kind of greeting she particularly wants that morning, but she’s resigned to making do with whatever she can get. 

She lets her purse drop to the ground beside her rolling desk chair, scooching the chair to the edge of her desk as A’keria echoes Silky’s concern. Vanessa can tell from the massive cup of coffee sitting on Silky’s desk that she isn’t the only one with a hangover that morning, which makes her feel just a little bit better. At least she won’t be suffering through the day alone.

Her friends look at her expectantly, clearly waiting on an answer to their question. In that moment, however, all Vanessa can think about is the blonde from last night, and she knows immediately that she has to ask the two other women for their help. Her memory of the previous night might have been blurry, but hopefully Silky or A’keria remember something she doesn’t.

“Woke up late, not a big deal. How much you two remember from last night?” Vanessa asks her friends, glancing between the two of them. She watches as A’keria rolls her eyes and shrugs, Silky furrowing her eyebrows in an effort to concentrate.

“I am hungover as _ hell _ , I don’t remember shit,” Silky declares at last, causing Vanessa to let out a defeated sigh. _ Of course she doesn’t remember _, Vanessa thinks to herself, her eyes darting back over to A’keria as if the other woman is her last hope. 

“Girl, you know I was distracted tryin’ to find me a man,” A’keria quips back, raising a single eyebrow at Vanessa. “Why you so curious though?”

“I met a girl, but I ain’t remember her name,” Vanessa replies, watching as Silky nearly hits A’keria the moment her arms start flailing in excitement.

“What the hell you mean you don’t remember her name?” A’keria replies, letting out a disapproving hum as Silky begins scooting her chair across the office floor. 

“You remember what she look like?” Silky chimes in. Vanessa lets out a sigh as she shakes her head, bracing herself from another surprised shriek from Silky. Their boss would likely need to _have a talk _with them if they didn’t shut the hell up soon, but Vanessa can’t bring herself to care about that in the moment. “_You_ _don’t even remember what she look like? _Bitch, the hell _do_ you remember?”

“Uhhhhh, I kissed her under some mistletoe? And she got blonde hair. That’s it.”

Silky looks as if she’s about to explode, about to let out a third shriek when A’keria lets out a loud cough, signaling that their boss was about to pass by. The three women rush back to their respective desks, falling into comfortable silence and pretending to work diligently. To their boss, it would look like the three were typing away at emails or some report that needed to be submitted soon, but in reality they were opening their work group chat to continue screaming at each other.

_ S: WE HAVE TO FIND HER _

_ S: YOU CAN’T JUST KISS SOME BLONDIE UNDER MISTLETOE AND NOT MARRY THE BITCH _

_ V: I KNOW MARY _

_ V: Help me find her??? _

_ A: girrrrrrrrrrrrrl. mistletoe kiss don’t mean she’s the love of your life _

_ S: shut it, we got a mission: find vanjie’s mistletoe dream girl. _

Once they hear the click of their boss retreating back into his office, Vanessa pushes her chair across the floor to where Silky and A’keria sit, flashing her friends a shit-eating grin.

“So what’s the plan?”

For the next hour, Vanessa sits huddled together with Silky and A’keria at Silky’s desk as they map out a plan, Silky typing up the details as fast as she can without her fingers stumbling over the keys. A’keria chimes in occasionally, but ultimately just sits back for the majority of their planning session and reminds them how crazy the whole situation is. They’re chasing after some blonde woman Vanessa hardly remembers, what could go wrong?

By the time they finish coming up with their plan, Vanessa feels unstoppable. If everything goes according to plan, she’ll find her mysterious blonde by the end of the day. It’s foolproof, really - or so she thinks. Once the details are finalized, Vanessa makes Silky email her a copy before they can get things underway.

_ Step 1: Compile a guest list _

_ Step 2: Interrogate the guest list _

_ Step 3: Ride off into the sunset with mistletoe blondie _

The third step is Silky’s doing, earning her an exasperated sigh from A’keria. They each take turns jotting down anyone they remember seeing at the party the night before, afterwards ordering them based on who was most likely to have seen Vanessa with the blonde. One name sticks out at the top of the list, the resident gossip at work: _ Scarlet _.

Sharing a knowing look, Silky circles Scarlet’s name several times for emphasis, and they all know they need to speak to her first.

“First things first, breakfast!” Vanessa loudly announces to the office, hands clasped together as she winks at Silky in the process, indicating her to follow her to the bakery café - fully knowing she has an appointment in half an hour. 

"Hoe, you just arrived an hour late. Are you really that desperate to get fired?" Silky hushes the moment the two women leave the office behind. Students slowly filling the halls, rushing to their first lecture of the day.

"Ohh shush it. Mr. Charles could never run this shit show without me!" Vanessa tosses her wavy hair behind her shoulder. "And besides that we can't miss Scarlet. She gets her second coffee of the day and a chocolate croissant at the bakery at 8:30 every single day, I am not rushing for no reason! So move your ass, bitch!" 

Consequences long forgotten, a mysterious blonde dictating her mind. 

As the two still slightly hungover women stroll down the halls and bicker back and forth about nothing in particular, they spot their target from far away, already entering the café. Determination written between Vanessa’s brows as her stride gains a bit of speed, electricity flowing through her veins, desperate to find answers.

_ Ice blonde locks entangled with olive tanned fingertips, sickly sweet promises whispered to tipsy brains. Lipstick smudges and backs arch to the low bass pulsing through their veins. _

The bell on the door rings as Vanessa and Silky race into the tiny café. The smell of ground coffee beans and sickly sweet pastries hits the two within a second of entering - making Vanessa’s stomach growl.

Corkscrew curls and a matte red lipstick smile at the cashier, ordering a chocolate croissant and a sugary sweet coffee. Silky daringly cuts in line right behind her - fully living up to her no-fucks-given attitude - earning disapproving looks and growls from caffeine-withdrawn students which she shrugs off with a “got anything to say hoes?”

As the barista prepares the other woman’s order, Silky decides to chat up the woman in question, making use of her brilliant skills of entangling people in random conversations. 

“Hey Scarlet babe, how are you doing on this wonderful Monday? Have you started the day right - would you mind adding some Silky magic to spice up your day? Ohh, chocolate and coffee, that combination speaks to my heart - do you come here often?” 

As Silky runs her mouth, Vanessa orders a hot chocolate for big-ol’ Silk and a breakfast burrito and a dark black coffee for herself, letting Silky go on for a hot minute, before she decides to save Scarlet from her friend’s tornado of a monologue.

"So how did you find the party yesterday?" The brunette jumps into the conversation, tapping her blood red fingernails against the counter. Head tilted to the side as her heart constricts, nervously awaiting a much-needed revelation.

"Ohh - I actually didn't make it yesterday. I was busy.” Scarlet dramatically tosses her hair behind her shoulder, sighing deeply as she pulls the bottom of her lip between her teeth. Innocent eyes flicker to the table to her right, glancing at a deeply engrossed Yvie working on her very busy laptop, another quiet sigh escapes her painted lips as she catches the dark skinned woman sucking on a straw. “But Farrah filled me on all the hot gossip," she mentions after being pulled back into reality by someone accidentally knocking over the tip-jar on the counter, adding a slight cough after catching herself nearly drooling over the other woman.

"Ohh did anything interesting happen?" Vanessa innocently asks before grabbing her coffee and breakfast burrito from the counter. Sweaty palms wipe across her jeans as she struggles to keep her lips from twitching and keeping her cool - obviously failing miserably.

The three women stroll towards the exit, but not before having a brief chat with Yvie, while Vanessa catches Scarlet trying to play off the heart eyes she has for the giggling lady opposite her with ever-so-loving eyerolls. 

The walls of the café turn into dirty white halls of the office block of the university. Sleep-deprived students push past them, hurrying to their lectures or trying to still get a spot in the packed library. Multiple sips of coffee are needed before Scarlet finally answers Vanessa’s question: "I mean, there was some tension between Katya and Violet, but I think everyone knows that already. Also, Rajah and Kahanna got real nasty towards each other-" 

"I was asking if someone got their cookies, if you know what I mean,” Vanessa pronounces and winks at Scarlet in the process of skipping and twirling through the halls, simply earning a raised eyebrow by the honey blonde beauty. Electricity still pulsing through her veins, itching to be released.

“You know that Christmas romance and shit. Just asking for a friend obviously,” a sarcastic eye roll and the drag of the last syllable to play off her awkward phrasing. “Waiting for someone to spill the tea!" A screech finishes Vanessa’s little rambling, pulse rising as a light blush starts to cover her cheeks.

Vanessa comes to a halt in front of her office, turning around and finding Scarlet eyeing her suspiciously, eyes squinted and brows raised even higher. Definitely not buying any of her bullshit.

“Quit it hoe!” Silky interrupts them - nearly spilling the rest of her hot chocolate as she raises her hands in frustration. 

The furrows in Scarlet’s brows get even deeper, the woman way too confused to voice any further questions.

“Vanjie got a little mistletoe action with some pretty blonde, but was too damn drunk to remember,” Silky announces, almost loud enough for the entire office complex to hear. 

Vanessa’s mouth falls open in a gasp as she stares wide-eyed at her best friend, lost for words. At least for a second.

“Silky! Bitch, why you always got to run your mouth?” Hands swaying through the air, trying to cover up her embarrassment. 

“Ohhh, I haven’t heard about that,” Scarlet simultaneously declares. “But, if you are in desperate need of an answer, I would try asking Ariel about it - she didn’t let go of her Nikon the entire evening.” 

* * *

By the time Vanessa sits back down at her desk, it’s almost time for her appointment. One glance at the clock tells her she has exactly three minutes before the student she’s meant to meet with should show up. _ Plenty of time to write an email _, she decides, hastily logging back into her computer. She waits impatiently as the screen loads, nails tapping against her desk as the seconds tick by.

Just as she finally gets her email to open up, she hears footsteps approaching her desk, and she hopes more than anything else that her student isn’t here yet.

“Miss Mateo?” Vanessa looks up when she hears the voice, resisting the urge to curse under her breath. _ Of course _ her student was here already, and a minute early too. _ Damn it _. “I’m Gigi, I’m here to meet with you?”

Vanessa welcomes the student, reluctantly getting up from her desk to lead the student into the advising office. All through her advising appointment, Vanessa’s mind continues to wander to the blonde from the night before, and she finds herself impatiently tapping her foot as she listens to Gigi rambles endlessly about her confused muddle of academic plans. Most days Vanessa would be eager to jump in and help guide students like Gigi down whatever path seemed like the best fit, but that morning she just can’t find the focus to sort out Gigi’s problems. 

She’s too eager to run back to her desk and email Ariel.

Thirty minutes later, Gigi walks out with a smile on her face and a much calmer aura than she walked in with. Vanessa, however, is about to lose her damn mind if she doesn’t get to see Ariel’s photos soon. 

The moment she sits back down at her desk, she repeats the process she attempted before Gigi walked in: logs in to her computer, waits as it boots up at a painstakingly slow rate, and opens her email. Her fingers fly across the keyboard as she drafts her message to the university’s Social Media Manager, checking it over once for typos before sending it.

_ Good Morning Ariel, _

_ Heard you got some photos at the party last night, can you send them my way? Looking for some to put up around the office. _

_ -VM _

She doesn’t get a response from Ariel, which only puts her even more on edge. She debates sending the woman another email or calling over to her office as a follow-up to her email, but she ultimately decides against both. If nothing else, she’ll stop by after lunch to get the photos from Ariel.

The last thing Vanessa expects, however, is for Ariel to show up at her office 20 minutes before lunch, laptop in hand. 

“Hey girl!” Ariel calls out, grabbing a chair and pulling it over to sit beside Vanessa’s. “I got your email, thought I’d come stop by and show you the pictures instead, since there’s too many to attach in an email.”

At first, Vanessa is excited to have Ariel show her the photos. Five minutes later, her excitement is gone as Ariel drones on and on about photos that have nothing to do with the blonde Vanessa is looking for. Images of Nina making a toast, Asia ducking to avoid being hit by Silky’s flailing arms, and Kameron cheering as Monet dances take up Vanessa’s time, her eyes frantically scanning each picture for any sign of the blonde from Vanessa’s memory.

She’s about to give up hope when Ariel clicks to a group photo of Katya, Nina, and Manila. Upon first glance, she thinks it’s another pointless image, one that holds no clues about the secret identity of the blonde from the night before. But then she notices something in the corner of the image and leans in for a closer look, ignoring Ariel’s words for a minute. A flash of blonde hair, tight red party dress, the side of a face barely visible - just enough for Vanessa to recognize _ her. _This was the blonde she kissed the night before. 

“Can you send me this picture?” Vanessa asks abruptly, looking over at Ariel. It doesn’t matter that the Social Media Manager looks confused, Vanessa throws in an almost desperate _ please _, and before she knows it, Ariel is forwarding the photo to her via email.

She was _ finally _making a breakthrough in her hunt to find her mystery girl.

After Ariel sends her the picture, the girl leaves for lunch, promising to share the rest of the photos with Vanessa soon. Not that Vanessa really need to see many more, now that she’s found an image of the woman she kissed, but Vanessa agrees nonetheless. If she ends up being unable to find her mystery girl, maybe she can find a better picture of the woman’s face amongst Ariel’s sea of Christmas party photos. 

But for now, she has a lead. She also has a lunch date with Nina and Monet, who can hopefully help her determine who the blonde woman in the photo is.

Getting up, Vanessa grabs her jacket and scurries out of the office to go meet up with Nina and Monet, mentally running over the questions she wants to ask them once she meets up with them in the campus dining hall.

* * *

Time passes differently inside a university. Vanessa noticed that the day she stepped into this building and still hasn’t properly adapted to the strange environment. So it’s no surprise that once she reaches the dining hall everyone is seated already, chatting about the exciting weekend they've experienced. 

With an annoyed sigh, the discouraged and highly exhausted Vanessa slumps down into her usual spot in the dining hall, slamming her plate a bit too hard against the plastic table. Nearly unable to block out the highly enthusiastic conversation that Nina and Monét are having right in front of her. Even slightly envying their chemistry and shamelessly flirtatious undertones, making her even more miserable about still being left in the dark in regards to her mystery lady. 

On any other day she would cheerfully join their conversation, gossip about her students and tease them for their very _ subtle _ flirting. Yet today, questions and approaches, failed ideas and complex plans swirl around her head, painting a Picasso-like picture in her mind - one that’s way too abstract to properly make sense of. Especially while hungover. 

As Vanessa’s head falls into her outstretched hands, blurred memories of the blonde beauty flicker in her mind like a powerpoint playing at high speed. Every inch of her longing to smell her harsh but intoxicating citrus perfume. Craving to revisit the taste of her lips. Her heart sinking with each hour passing, never really getting much closer to the finish line.

With a deep sigh she shifts in her chair, picking up her fork just to swirl it around in her food. Eyes hopelessly flickering around the cafeteria in utter anguish. Desperately waiting to catch sight of golden locks and piercing green eyes. Ariel’s photograph imprinted in her mind.

Stuck in her self loathing, she nearly misses a mention of the ‘tall mysterious blonde’ by one of her fellow colleagues. A jab to her rib - resulting in her sudden, wide awake state. Hairs on her arms raised, the sensation of her blouse on her skin nearly too much to handle. The words finally reaching her consciousness. A’keria silently points out the source in question before Silky even gets a chance to open her brash mouth. 

The women in question, Aquaria and Dusty, share knowing looks and giggle while whispering to each other, attracting attention from the trio. Their untouched food abandoned on the table. Nails tapping against the surface, punctuating each sentence whispered by Aquaria. Chairs scooted close together, creating their own little bubble. 

A pointed look from A’keria lands in Vanessa’s direction, silently urging her to finally say something - tired of just watching. Before another elbow can land in her ribcage, she decides to raise her voice and hollers across the small table, gaining attention from Monét and Nina as well. “Hey, Mary! Are you spilling the tea from the party last night?” Hands clasped together as she expectantly eyes the two. 

“Ohh we just talked about Blair, finally saw her again last night after not talking for a while,” Dusty tries to brush her off, turning towards the raven haired girl by her side.

“The tall blonde?”

“Uhh yes. What about her?” Aquaria voices, confusion written between her furrowed brows. Eyes judgingly fixated on the brunette as she twirls her hair around her finger.

“Did she maybe-”

“Did she drunkenly make out with Vanjie?” Silky bursts into the conversation, sick of Vanessa tiptoeing around the topic every single time. Leave it to Silky to confidently take the lead. 

“Silk! We’ve talked about this!” Vanessa hisses, so furious she nearly knocks over a glass of water as her arms flair around her, hands tightly balled into fists. 

“Yes. You are incapable of properly investigating people, so I am taking over. Thank me later!”

Vanessa looks expectantly at A’keria, silently begging her to say something. Suddenly incapable of sticking up for herself. Within a moment embarrassment overtakes her, letting her shoulders slump down, getting smaller and smaller as rose petals paint her cheeks bright red.

A'keria simply clicks her tongue as she shakes her head at the girl to her left side, properly setting down her cutlery before making her point. “Ohh no honey, don’t look at me like that. Silky is right and both of us know that.” 

Aquaria and Dusty glance at each other, signs of confusion written all over their faces. Both shrugging their shoulders at the scene, not necessarily knowing when or how to interfere. 

The two women continue to bicker back and forth, blaming the other for their failure. Frustration leaking out of their souls, extended claws and fiery spirits, while voices aren't the only thing being raised. After silently watching this train wreck happening, Dusty finally attempts to cut the tension. A loud cough gains the others’ attention before she simply mentions that Blair has a boyfriend, trying to distract the women from their on-going feud. 

“That doesn’t mean anything bitch. That one time I dated a guy, we were pretty serious, and I still somehow ended up in bed with a kitten after a long night of partying!" 

“This isn’t relevant right now Silky!” Vanessa interferes, still annoyed by the whole ordeal. 

“Anyways. I set my bet on this Blair bitch!" 

A’keria simply shakes her head, apologizing to Aquaria and Dusty for taking up their time and tries to come up with an intervention for the two frustrated women, still going at each other like wild chicken. 

“Let’s get some dessert, hoes. Maybe your future wife loves chocolate mousse.”

At the mention of dessert Silky and Vanessa suddenly forget what they were arguing about, eyes widening at the mention of sweets - now dreaming about the colorful and sickening dessert selection of the cafeteria. With new found elation they grab their plates and return them to the dirty dishes collection, before making their way over to the dessert section. 

“Aren’t they talking about Brooke?” Monét voices her thoughts after the trio was finally out of sight. Her voice dripping with genuine curiosity. Head rested on her right hand, elbow supported by the table. 

“They probably are,” Nina chuckles. Still not over what she just witnessed. 

“Should we let them known?” Monét wonders, for once not sure if she can find any enjoyment in having to deal with a frustrated Vanjie. Her almond eyes trailing over the seats they just sat in. 

“I don’t know, it’s more fun watching them try to figure it out."

The rest of the table nods in agreement, before erupting into giggles, seemingly enjoying the show. But as the trio makes their way across the room, the laughter coming from the table is completely lost in the bustle of the dining hall, hidden in a sea of students and employees.

"Blair isn’t the mysterious blond,” Vanjie simply mentions once stood in front of the chocolate desserts, staring down the selection of sweets with utter concentration.

"How do you know?” Silky asks in a way too challenging tone for A'keria's liking, the silent woman already mentally preparing for another fight. 

“I met her at a seminar a few months ago. She is really nice - but not my mistletoe lady.” The brunette sighs deeply, too exhausted to give into the temptation of once again letting out her frustration on her best friend. 

"Damn it! I genuinely thought we had a breakthrough." 

Their motivation shrinks with each passing second as the dream of success seems even farther away. All three women slowly but surely accepting defeat as they run out of ideas, lost minds running in circles, grasping at straws that are no more.

Maybe it simply isn't meant to be.

"So what are you planning on doing now?” A'keria asks, ready to get back to the front desk, longing to spend the rest of the day in peace, already tired of her friends’ shenanigans. 

"I don’t know. Our lunch break will be over soon, so-" Vanessa rubs the back of her neck as she looks around, as if the mysterious blond could pop up out of nowhere all of a sudden.

Silently, all three grab a cup filled with mousse au chocolat, before they slowly make their way back to the office complex. Tired feet drag across the ground as disappointed figures move through the halls, avoiding conversations with students like the plague. Each of them keeping to themselves while the brunette falls behind, observing the crowd around her. 

As Silky licks her spoon clean, Kameron and Asia turn the corner of the hallway, right in front of Silky’s and Vanessa’s shared office, finally catching the women they’ve been looking for.

“There you bitches are! I've heard you’re looking for Vanjie’s drunken hookup?” Asia asks with a smirk and raised brows. Hand on her hips, prepared to be a part of this spectacle.

“Silkyyyyy!” Vanessa’s voice nothing more than a childish whine at this point. Pained doe eyes stare down her best friends as she rolls up the sleeves of her shirt, shifting her leg from side to side.

“It wasn’t me,” Silky swears, fist raised above her heart.

A’keria rolls her eyes before she raises her voice. “I actually told them, couldn’t you hear you complain anymore.” She waves them off with a quick hand movement.

“Anyway, I am pretty sure I know who you are talking about,” Kameron voices, keeping her tone as mysterious as she can without breaking into a knowing smile.

“Biiiiitch! You better not be playing,” Vanessa hollers excitedly, dragging out the first syllable as a grin stretches across her lips. 

Asia’s lips curl up into a shit-eating grin as she briefly glances over at Kameron, then looks back at Vanessa. “Mysterious, tall blonde who gives off serious cold-hearted bitch vibes?” Asia asks, her arms crossing over her chest as her gaze flits between the three women opposite her.

Vanessa eagerly nods in response, almost perfectly in sync with Silky. A’keria looks vaguely interested, her eyebrow raised, despite Vanessa knowing she really doesn’t care all that much about the wild goose hunt they were on. 

Kameron lets out a short laugh before speaking, clearly amused by the whole situation. “Sounds like Detox if you ask me.”

From the way Asia’s face quickly contorts with confusion, Vanessa can tell that the two are very much not on the same page about who her mystery girl might be.

_ “ Detox? _ _”_ Asia repeats, her voice higher than before, riddled with disbelief. “Bitch, Detox left early for her dick appointment. Ain’t no way in hell it was her!”

“You can’t tell me it doesn’t sound like D to make out with someone under some mistletoe before leaving to go hook up with someone,” Kameron counters, rolling her eyes at her friends. “Besides, who the hell else would it be? Detox is the only tall bitchy-looking blonde I know of on this damn campus.”

Despite the fact that Kameron and Asia can’t seem to make up their minds about Detox, Vanessa feels hopeful. Something about Kameron’s words excite her, make her feel like maybe they’re finally onto something. Maybe, _ just maybe _, she’ll find her mystery blonde by the end of the day after all.

While Kameron and Asia are still bickering, Vanessa yells out a quick thank you to them both, then takes off toward her office without any further hesitation. Her mind reeling with possibilities, but all of them coming back to the idea that maybe Detox was her mistletoe blonde from the previous night.

She has to find out, which is exactly why she plans to look Detox up in the directory and call her the moment she sits back down at her desk.

Before she gets to relish in the glory of being one step closer to finally getting to know her Christmas lady, she is met with her not so impressed boss leaning against her desk. Blue suit, black dress shoes and a bored look plastered on his face.

The brunette abruptly comes to a halt the moment she steps through the door - a quiet "shit" leaving her lips, before she attempts to pull off her best professional smile. 

"Ms. Mateo?" Mr. Charles’s voice is nearly as serious as his appearance as he pushes himself off the desk, moving closer to her.

"Yes?" Vanessa hurriedly replies as she rushes into the room, dropping her purse onto her desk and setting down her still untouched mousse au chocolat before turning around to face her boss again. 

Nervously awaiting a lecture of some sort, she mentally runs over all the ways she had fucked up - not only today, but all the mischief she managed the entire last month. Showing up late, gossiping with Silky for hours on end instead of working on her reports, jokingly telling a student that “C’s get degrees” and not to worry about a failed exam, calling in sick so she could visit Disneyland with A’keria and Silky, recommending a student reconsider if college was the best option for them, and other obscure things she was currently unable to recall. Blood red fingernails drum against her desk as she expectantly stares at her boss, holding back from apologizing immediately.

“It has come to my attention that a lot of students have taken up your offer to join the mental well being week. This actually kept me thinking. So I was wondering if you would feel confident in organising such a week twice a semester?”

The brunette’s mouth slightly falls open while she silently stares at her counterpart, simply blinking for a second before she even has the chance of gathering her thoughts. 

“Uhh-ooh. Yes sir. Definitely, no problem at all - would loved to.” Words pouring out of her mouth without any filter, her mind stuck like a record playing on loop. 

“Good to hear. This will of course include a raise, to further discuss this I would like to see you Monday in my office, 10 a.m. sharp.”

Vanessa simply nodded along, desperately trying not scream her excitement.

“I’ll see you Monday, then. Have a good day, Ms. Mateo.”

The man in the blue tux moves towards exit in a fast stride, never looking back. 

“You too, Mr. Charles!” Vanessa adds the moment her boss turns the corner, not even catching the brunette’s reply.

With a relieved chuckle Vanessa lets herself fall into her office chair once her boss is completely out of sight. She spins around in her chair - once, twice - before she logs into her computer with a slight smile, seriously unable to believe her luck. 

She needs three attempts before she gets her password right, struggling to keep the combination of nervous and excited energy from getting to her. Her eyes impatiently stare at the loading sign in front of her as shaky hands reach for her phone - craving any distraction from her restless mind. _ No _\- she needs to focus. 

The rush of a promised raise and the prosperity of finally talking to her mistletoe lady again makes her heart sore, flying to cloud nine while her stomach keeps turning like a merry go around.

The moment her desktop comes back to life she swiftly opens a browser, while her fingers dash across the keyboard as she opens the directory, looking for a certain Detox. Eyes scanning the site for a search bar. Another three attempts before she spells her potential mistletoe lady’s name right.

Within a second of hitting enter, the contact information turns up. A few seconds later and the phone in her hand is already ringing, her fingertips working on their own accord, waiting for who she hopes is her mysterious blonde to finally pick up on the other side of the line. 

Her mind not fully processing what is happening - as if her brain has been stuck on the first episode of some trashy competition show while her body is already preparing for the season finale.

The moment the ringing stops, both Vanessa and the woman on the other side of the line hold their breath for a second. Neither knowing what to say.

“Hello?” the woman in question finally raises her voice, seemingly confused.

“Ohh, yes. This is Vanessa, am I talking to Detox?” She pulls her bottom lip between her teeth as she picks up a random pen on her desk, twirling it between her fingertips. She can feel her heart pounding, as if she had just run a marathon.

“Yes. Do I know you?”

“Uhhh - well, yes. We met at the employee christmas party yesterday!”

The brunette subconsciously drawing hearts into her notebook while she tries to anything in her her prower to prevent her heart from jumping out of her chest. 

“Did we? I don’t remember meeting a Vanessa if I remember correctly.” 

There they go, all of her hopes jumping right out of the window. Her stomach sinks, and she tries to fight off the feeling of disappointment threatening to consume her.

“I mean we got pretty wasted before we kissed under the mistletoe, boo so-”

“Babe, I am pretty sure you are at the wrong address. I left the party pretty sober and fairly early for a dick appointment.” Vanessa hears a slight chuckle coming from the other end of the line, one that only confuses her, her eyebrows furrowing together.

“Ohh shit, that can't be true, Mary! Are you sure?”

Vanessa slams down her fist in frustration, hissing slightly as her hand collides with the hard wood of her desk. 

“One hundred percent certain, love. But why did you think it is me?”

“Well, I talked to some people and Kameron insisted, quote unquote, you are the only tall bitchy-looking blonde she knows of on this damn campus, soo, I had hoped, you know…”

“Tall, bitchy-looking blonde kissing someone under the mistletoe and never telling them her name? Kinda sounds like Brooke if you ask me.”

“Huh?”

“Brooke Lynn Hytes. She is one of my colleagues, a fabulous researcher and quite frankly a bitch who I adore way too much. So she might be your best bet, ‘cause it seriously sounds like something she would do. Would love to tell you more about her but I need to prepare for a study, but don’t hesitate to look for her! Bye.”

Before Vanessa can even get another word in the line falls dead, leaving Vanessa even more confused than she was before. Her head falls into her hands, phone dropping onto her marked up desk.

Brooke Lynn Hytes, researcher. _ Brooke Lynn Hytes, researcher _. 

_ Where has she heard that name before? _

All of a sudden her head snaps back up, eyes wide open, finally remembering.

_ Nina. _ She remembers hearing Nina talk about her friend Brooke, and knows immediately that if anyone would know how to find Brooke, it would be Nina.

Without a second thought, she raises from her armchair, pushing it back and letting it crash into the heater, and rushes out of her office complex. Her heels click against the floor in a hurried pace, darting through the halls while attempting not to collide with anyone. She’s on a mission, with only one thought running through her brain.

Once the brunette leaves her building behind, she completely accepts her fate as a mad woman and starts running across campus. Wavy hair carried by the wind, as her heart isn’t the only thing that leaps forward. Expectations spin around her head, creating a movie-like scene in her head. The woman reaches her destination within 15 minutes - a new record, stopping for a second outside the research complex, slightly panting. 

Now all she needs to do is find Nina’s office - not that she’s ever been there before.

Luckily the lady at the frontdesk hasn’t gone home just yet. Like a cat eyeing its prey, Vanessa stalks towards the woman, greeting her with a cheshire cat grin. 

“Excuse me, could you maybe tell me where Nina West’s office is?”

“It’s on the second floor, but that won’t help much since she left over an hour ago already,” the redhead replies, her voice lower than Vanessa had expected. Boredom dripping out of her figure. 

“Fuck!” Vanessa curses, before slurrying a thank you to the woman and slowly backing out of the complex. 

* * *

It’s nearly five p.m., almost time to go home for the day, and Vanessa feels defeated as she shuffles down the sidewalk. Her whole day feels like a waste, chasing down dead-end leads only to still not find her damn mystery woman. What good does it do if she has a name, but can’t put a face to the name? For all she knows, finding Brooke could be just like her phone call with Detox - another name crossed off the list with no end in sight.

Sure, she could call Nina to ask about Brooke, but it feels pointless to think about. Everything feels pointless. She’s tired, her feet hurt, and more than anything else, she just wants to go home.

She sighs as she makes her way back across campus, the cold air nipping at her face. After a couple minutes, she mumbles a soft _ fuck it _ under her breath and pauses to take her heels off. She’s given up on wearing shoes, deciding she would rather walk barefoot than finish her trek across campus in heels.

It’s getting dark out, a fact that makes Vanessa want to curse out loud as the sidewalk lights begin to turn on all around campus. Around her, students briskly walk past on their way home, finished with classes for the day. It’s a Friday, so she won’t see any of them again until the following Monday when finals week begins.

It’s a bittersweet moment for her.

Vanessa can’t seem to shake the upset feeling that forms a lump in her stomach, disappointed that Brooke had been nowhere to be found when she booked it across campus to the lab she worked in. She nearly allows her disappointment to overshadow the fact that the Secret Santa gift exchange her coworkers organized is happening soon, the thought long forgotten throughout the day.

This is the first year they had all decided to hold the gift exchange the day after their holiday party. It made more sense, really, since the holiday party is just an excuse for most people to eat, dance, and drink without a care in the world.

Lucky for Vanessa, she had drawn Silky’s name a few weeks ago when they announced the Secret Santa for the year. All she has to do once she gets back to the office is grab the gift she has stashed in the locked drawer of her desk and give it to her friend, then she’s done for the day. Whoever her Secret Santa is has probably given up on trying to catch her during the day, Vanessa having spent too much time running around the campus to stay in one spot long enough to receive her gift.

Except when Vanessa walks back into her office just before five, she’s surprised to see someone perched upon the edge of her desk. Blonde hair falls around the woman’s face in effortless waves, blocking her face from Vanessa’s view. Her legs are crossed, hands folded in her lap as she glances over at the clock above A’keria’s desk. Vanessa’s eyes dart to that side of the room, and she swears she’s never been so grateful for her friends leaving work early on a Friday.

When the blonde looks over at Vanessa, she swears her heart nearly stops beating. She immediately recognizes the woman from the night before, green eyes luring her in the same way they had when she spotted her by the mistletoe. This couldn’t be possible.

Except it is. Vanessa’s mistletoe mystery woman is right in front of her, a small box wrapped in sparkly gold paper sitting beside her on Vanessa’s desk.

Their eyes lock, and Vanessa feels weak in her knees as the blonde flashes her a smile.

“And here I was worried you’d already left for the day,” the blonde states, letting out a soft laugh as she pushes herself up from the desk. “Detox told me you were looking for me; figured I’d swing by before you went home, but you weren’t here. Your friends were though, one of them wouldn’t stop screaming when I told her who I was.”

_ Damn it, Silky _ , Vanessa thinks to herself. But the thought passes as quickly as it pops into her head, instead the realization hits her that this is Brooke, who is also her Secret Santa from the looks of things. _ Could this day get any better? _

“Hello? Everything alright?” Brooke asks after a minute, her eyebrows furrowing together in concern. Vanessa quickly snaps herself out of her train of thought, taking a couple steps towards Brooke as she nods her head.

“Mhm. Been looking for you all damn day,” Vanessa replies, flashing her a smile. She’s still in a state of disbelief, shocked that after running all over campus, Brooke is finally standing in front of her, looking just as beautiful as she had the night before. 

“I could say the same about you,” Brooke quips back, smiling back at Vanessa in a way that makes Vanessa’s heart start pounding in her chest. More than ever, she’s grateful her friends aren’t around, knowing how much they would tease her over this. “I pulled your name for Secret Santa, I’ve been trying to give you your gift all day.”

“Well, I’m here now.” Vanessa watches in anticipation as Brooke picks up the gold box, carefully handing it over to Vanessa, sending a jolt of electricity up her arm as their hands brush against each other lightly.

She wants to curse at herself for acting like some lovesick puppy, but she can’t help it. Even though she had been drunk the night before and forgot to ask her name, there was no denying the instant connection she had felt with Brooke. There was no denying the sparks that were ignited when they kissed.

Vanessa bites her bottom lip lightly, doing her best to hide her nerves, as she carefully tears the wrapping paper and opens the box. Inside is a little sprig of mistletoe, and upon seeing it, Vanessa immediately glances up at Brooke in confusion. Could this mean what she thinks it means?

Vanessa can see the way Brooke’s cheeks redden a bit as she picks up the mistletoe, holding it up over their heads, and she swears she could die happy right then and there. She takes another step toward Brooke, closing some of the distance between them as the blonde grins at her.

“Oh, more mistletoe,” Brooke whispers, leaning in slowly. “I guess I’ll just-” Her words are cut off by an impatient Vanessa, who surges up onto her tiptoes to press her lips against Brooke’s eagerly. 

If the kiss the previous night sent sparks flying, this one feels more like a symphony of fireworks being ignited. Her body feels light, the world around her fades away and all she can focus on is _ Brooke _, who inevitably drops the mistletoe to wrap her arms securely around Vanessa’s waist. Brooke’s touch is delicate but strong, enough to make Vanessa’s head spin, and she has to grip Brooke’s shoulders to keep herself from feeling like she might float away at any given moment. The kiss is soft, gentle - a stark contrast to the messy, heated one they shared the night before.

Vanessa knows immediately that this kiss is worth all the insanity she had to deal with during the day. All the walking she did and all the interrogations Silky helped her with lead up to this moment, one Vanessa knew she would never forget.

She isn’t sure which one of them breaks the kiss, both of them slowly pulling back at the same time to catch their breath. Vanessa’s heart skips a beat as Brooke grins at her once more, her arms not leaving Vanessa’s waist.

“You know,” Vanessa starts, looking up at her with a cheeky smile. “You could’ve at least taken me out on a date first.” This earns her a laugh from Brooke, a laugh that makes her feel all warm and fuzzy inside. She could get used to the sound of Brooke’s laugh, she thinks to herself.

“How about we get dinner, say, now?” Brooke suggests, her eyes scanning Vanessa’s face as she bites at her bottom lip nervously. It’s Vanessa’s turn to laugh now, nodding her head as she does so, trying to ease Brooke’s nerves.

“I’d like that,” Vanessa murmurs, finally removing herself from Brooke’s grasp to grab her jacket and purse off the back of her chair. “Let’s go.”


End file.
